What do J.K. Rowling, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, Vincent van Gogh, Thomas Edison, and Dr. Seuss have in common? They all failed miserably before they became successful.
Edison once said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. I am not discouraged because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”
Dr. Seuss’s first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, was rejected by different publishers 27 times.
Einstein didn’t speak until he was 4 and didn’t read until he was 7, after which he went on to win the Nobel Prize and become the face of modern physics.
Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime, and that was to a friend. Even so, he kept painting and finished more than 800 pieces. His most expensive painting today is valued at $142.7 million.
J. K. Rowling was famously rejected by 12 publishers before Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was accepted.
Walt Disney, according to legend, was turned down 302 times before he got financing for creating Disneyland.
So before you think of quitting, think again:
1. Think of the why.
Remember why you started in the first place. What did you want to achieve? What did you want to accomplish?
2. Don’t do what is easy.
Anything great is worth fighting for.
3. Remember it’s not over till it’s over.
Some people fold after making one timid request. Don’t be that person. Do all you can to succeed, even when the odds are against you. Even if it’s late in the final inning, you can still win it–unless you quit.
4. Mind your attitude.
Negative thoughts create negative results. Do what you can to turn it around and replace negativity with positive thoughts.
5. Take responsibility.
You can’t always control the results. But you own your efforts, your ideas, and your perseverance against obstacles.
6. Keep learning.
Everyone makes mistakes and goes through rough patches. But if you learn from the things that go wrong you can redeem your failures. It’s not about avoiding adversity, but knowing how to handle it.
7. Believe in second (and third and fourth and fifth) chances.
Just because you didn’t get it right the first time, that doesn’t mean you won’t get it right the second.
One of our principal missions in life is to figure out what we really want and go after it with a vengeance. So before you quit everything or give up on anything remember that, while you can never go back and start a new beginning, you can always start now and make a new ending.
N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
THE LEADERSHIP GAP
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
- 12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
- A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
- How to Succeed as A New Leader
- 12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
- 4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
- The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
- The Deception Trap of Leadership
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.